Fully minted industrial engineers

Ohio State's LeanSigma certification program puts graduates on the road to success

In the August 2009 Industrial Engineer article "Fusion in the Classroom," Julia L. Higle and I provided an overview of the Integrated LeanSigma (ILSS) Certification Program in the College of Engineering and the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering at The Ohio State University. The program, a little more than a year old then, has matured, progressed and earned the Council of Industrial Engineering Academic Department Heads (CIEADH) Curriculum Innovation Award at the IIE Annual Conference in 2011.

This article is an update that will review the motivation, design and strategy for the program, highlight adjustments to program design and execution, review how the program has integrated with the department's capstone senior design, and explore lessons learned that could benefit other industrial and systems engineering departments.

Why certify?

Lean, Six Sigma and integrated leansigma are understood and practiced quite broadly. However, many educators and practitioners think that industrial and systems engineering (ISE) has lost an opportunity to be at the forefront of the lean and Six Sigma movement.

ISE departments traditionally are organized by disciplines: operations research; human factors engineering; manufacturing/ production/service systems engineering; and, in a few cases, management systems engineering. However, in lean parlance the customers (the employers) "pull" for graduates who can do systems and process improvement, are analytical, disciplined and well-trained broadly in ISE. Ohio States's experience and data show that candidates with an integrated leansigma certification and a bachelor's degree in ISE are more attractive than those with just a degree.

In the summer of 2007, Ohio State decided to create a leansigma certification program for industrial engineering undergraduates to fill unmet needs. Employers and graduating seniors had said they wanted:

* Compelling opportunities to integrate coursework and apply different ISE concepts, methods, principles and tools in the industry-sponsored capstone.

* Rigorous framework for process improvement (DMAIC - define, measure, analyze, improve, control) and process re-engineering (DCDOV - define, concept design, detailed design, optimize, verify), combined with a disciplined program, project planning and management methodology

* Learning experiences to solve problems in a real-world setting while dealing with ambiguity, imperfect data, organizational issues and resource constraints

* Stronger relationships between graduating seniors and employers

* And, most importantly, an opportunity to season and prepare young students for the real world.

Ohio State formally launched the experimental certification program in September 2007.

In the beginning

Continued benchmarking is required to keep a program like this relevant and current. I have continued to benchmark to best-inclass academic integrated leansigma programs and, as a member of the Council on Industrial Engineering (CIE), can keep my finger on the pulse of industry operational excellence. Many companies that recruit candidates from ISE and the capstone project sponsors provide additional benchmarking information that has helped improve the program.

When designing the program initially, one of the most important goals was to combine the curriculum with training. The curriculum and developmental principles are shown in Figure 1. The model builds off"Bloom's taxonomy" and blended training principles. Bloom's taxonomy is a model that maps teaching styles and methods to depths of knowledge. While education tends to focus on knowledge transfer, training tends to focus on acquiring skills. In short, integrated lean Six Sigma migrates students from traditional education (change what they know) to more training (change what they can do). This happens by combining the traditional classroom with Web-based curriculum and hands-on, physical simulations. It also extensively uses prototypes, or case studies.

The nascent program did not have a large number of case studies. But now that the program has matured, it has more than 200 detailed case studies from manufacturing, production, healthcare, insurance, finance, process industries, supply chain, etc. There are fix-the-process case studies (DMAIC) as well as design for leansigma. Students have access to stage and gate presentations to learn from projects similar to theirs.

The program now includes a series of three five-hour sessions, each focused on a critical component of the overall design. A simulation called "stickle brick" is used for experiential learning of many lean principles and methods. A simulation known as "statapult" supports skill development in process capability and design of experiments. Change management is dealt with through a set of exercises aimed at providing experience with exposing tendencies, confronting resistance, dealing with difficult situations, improving listening and communication skills, seeking and receiving feedback, building trust and teamwork.

And we have added a fourth simulation that serves as a capstone skill development lab. It is called SigmaBrew, modeled from a Starbucks case study. The simulations in the above paragraph are pieces, while SigmaBrew puts them all together. It is rich in data and facts, and students can select which data they "invest in" to solve the problem. This spans the last five weeks of the foundation course, one week for each stage of DMAIC.

The ILSS program was designed to have diverse course resources. In addition to the MoreSteam curriculum, the program uses various software systems and textbooks to round out the learning experience. For example, Peter Senge's book on organization development, The Fifth Discipline, introduces systems thinking as a context for process improvement. Recent experiments have introduced a VSM level discrete-event simulation tool so students can see the value of simulation solutions before installing them.

The above items are incorporated into a course on the foundations of leansigma, which precedes the capstone design project. Students learn about this elective sequence in their first industrial engineering course. Since 2009, the foundation course's popularity has increased rapidly. ISE enrollments have grown from roughly 100 a year to more than 150 a year, and the program is attracting more high-quality freshmen. But interest in the ILSS program has grown even faster. The foundation course used to be offered once a year to 32 candidates. It's headed toward being offered three times a year to a total of 96 candidates, despite its reputation as being a hard course.

As discussed previously, the program has been integrated with the capstone senior design program. Interestingly, the integrated leansigma capstone is now positioned in the College of Engineering at the same level as the college's multidisciplinary capstone. In other words, it's not just a departmental capstone; it is a university/ college valued program. This has occurred primarily because the sponsor base has grown rapidly, and the quality of that base is good. Creating value for sponsors will determine the sustainability of the experience created for students, who are, of course, job one.

It was critical for the program's board to consist of an independent group of experienced and qualified reviewers. The board has two seasoned master black belts, one leansigma training curriculum designer and provider and one seasoned Ph.D. The past two years have seen the addition of two program graduates. The group convenes at least twice a year to review program design, development, evolution and all projects

Tweaks, small and large

The constant benchmarking and feedback, combined with years of experience, have led to some critical adjustment during the last four years.

In the first cycle, only 50 percent of the students' projects wrapped up in time, or achieved "final tollgate" in DMAIC parlance. Disciplined project planning was needed. In the second cycle, each candidate was required to develop a detailed project plan that was closely monitored by the instructor. Sponsor signoffwas required for the candidate to receive a grade and obtain certification. These changes ensured that all projects achieved final tollgate within the quarter.

Using integrated master planning from Boeing and NASA has helped the candidates improve their ability to "see" through to "done." The requirement for weekly progress and performance updates and the development of chart books/dashboards to provide data and facts to support improvement verification has been tough but is working. Recent graduates reported that forcing them to learn how to do effective weekly progress and performance updates to include A3 practice, executive cover memo updates, and graphic portrayal of the project key performance indicators was painful. But, they said, it was one of the more valuable developmental practices.

All candidates must complete an industry standard DMAIC final report, an iSixSigma final tollgate style article and a poster presentation. After the second cycle, all sponsors and an oversight board of IE faculty, master black belts and leansigma curriculum providers are invited to a project review fair. The oversight board assessed the ABET course outcomes and ensured that the program meets best-in-class standards for training and certification. All stage and gate (either DMAIC or DCDOV) meeting support documents are treated as project control documents. So the candidates are practicing technical and professional writing (final report) and presentations (stage gate decks) at least five times in the capstone experience. Even candidates who are the least skillful at the start improve a lot by the end of the project.

Ohio State now offers the foundation course in both semesters. The capstone can follow a variety of sequences (e.g., springsummer internship-autumn, the simple path of autumn-spring capstone, and even a summer-autumn path). Yellow belt certification is available for candidates who, for whatever reason, have only one semester for capstone.

Finding committed sponsors was a worry when the program began. However, this important aspect has gotten easier because of the program's accumulation of successful, compelling performance improvement projects. This proven track record consists of 140 projects and $7 million in tangible benefits, which has led to a growing, strong group of sponsors.

As you can see, the program has continued to evolve and improve in a natural fashion. A continuity of leadership for the program has been important and is something that is different from how standard capstone courses often are taught in industrial and systems engineering departments.

Results drive more success

Since 2009, acceptance of this program as a key component of our capstone offering has grown tremendously among Ohio State's ISE faculty and College of Engineering representative stakeholders, including the dean, the Engineering Education Innovation Center and other capstone coordinators. Solid results, growth in the number of sponsors and the ability of the program to add revenue for the department have all contributed to that cultural acceptance. Nothing breeds success like success.

Recently, Ohio State's ISE department has developed tracks that allow a student to tailor technical electives. The faculty has provided suggested lists of elective packages that students can select with each track. The tracks are the management systems and operations research track, data analytics and optimization track, manufacturing track, and human systems integration and design track. In addition, a master's in business and logistics engineering (MBLE) is offered in partnership with the Fisher Business College.

The Integrated LeanSigma Certification Program is integral to the management systems track and the MBLE program. They are promoted to all candidates in all four tracks. So the ILSS program has evolved from something not well-understood, a one-offnot accepted by many of the ISE faculty, to an offering that is integrated tightly into the core of the program, something visible in our promotional materials.

The program has three key customers: project sponsors, end customers (the employers of the ILSS candidates) and, of course, the candidates. While the program has been an unqualified success, Ohio State continues to employ both formal and informal feedback mechanisms to ensure that it continues to address the requirements, needs and expectations of students, sponsors and end customers. We continue to hear that these needs are being met, along with suggestions for future improvements.

A typical comment from candidates who interview for a spot in the program sounds like this: "I've heard this is really, really hard, but also that it is one of the most important courses in ISE, and I don't want to miss that opportunity."

Recent graduates claim that they are far ahead of the other new hires in their cohort in the rotational program. Taking the integrated leansigma program accelerated their advancement.

Ohio State administrators know that students realize the ILSS program is a resumé builder that will help them get interviews, do well in their interviews, get great internships and land great jobs. The word is spreading. More than 95 percent of the program's candidates have great jobs before they graduate.

Nothing speaks to the program's impact more than the financial benefits of its projects. The program expects sponsors to validate and sign offon all financial benefits before we consider a project complete. I personally validate the sustainability and impact of all projects on an ongoing basis. The following year, I make a point of asking, "So is the improvement sticking? Did we get the job done?" Sometimes the answer is a resounding yes. But sometimes we find that the improvements couldn't be sustained, and we learn how to improve the program continuously.

This ability to provide value brings sponsors back and recruits others. As one large corporate sponsor said, "The fact that you drive these projects through to a logical conclusion that creates real value to organizations is a huge difference from other student projects we have participated in previously."

The benefits provided by the ILSS program also help small businesses that often lack the resources to drive significant change. As one small business sponsor said:

"We would probably not have been able to make this improvement if it had not been for the logical, disciplined approach your team brought to the opportunity. This is something we knew was a problem for a long time and just never had the wherewithal to do something about it."

The employers who "pull" Ohio State students through the employment supply chain offer many positive comments. One financial services business recruits only applicants from the program to fill its process excellence positions. For others, Ohio State's ISE department is their preferred department for entrylevel logistics engineering spots. One Fortune 100 equipment manufacturer places Ohio State and the ISE department in particular as one of its top five programs to recruit from for internships and full-time positions.

This year, one of our student projects involves making kits of surgical tools for operating rooms. Ohio State's medical center operating rooms have 1.12 help calls for the kitting of instruments per surgery. This simply means that at the front end almost every surgery has something wrong with its "kit" of instruments. The kits could be missing something, an item may not have passed its sterilization test in the operating room or changes could have happened at the last minute.

No organization is going to let a senior in ISE work on this kind of project unless you are doing something right. The sponsor has to have confidence and trust in the ISE faculty member and then advance that trust to a 22-year-old. Figure 2 shows the transition these students make from their sophomore to their senior years.

The many successes, along with a few failures, have driven the program's improvement during the last four years as its offerings have evolved. The ILSS program's tangible results have helped maintain ongoing relationships with a high quality group of sponsors.

Replicating success elsewhere

The results at Ohio State show that other ISE departments can transform their curriculum with certifications that can give their graduates a market advantage. Ohio State has learned a number of important lessons - let's call them critical to quality characteristics (CTQCs) - that can benefit educators who aim to repeat this success.

Quality (and continuity of) leadership and management of capstone. Anyone who has "taught" capstone knows it is a lot of work. Perhaps the most difficult part is finding good projects and sponsors. Keeping good sponsors is critical to longer-term success. To keep good sponsors, you have ensure that their experience with the department and students is positive. Industry-sponsored capstones have an implicit "give and get" and exchange of value.

Finding a faculty member who likes this and is good at managing relationships as well as the quality of the product is one of the most important CTQCs. For an integrated leansigma program, it takes finding a solid master black belt type from industry who can have one foot in academia, one foot in the real world, and the ability to speak both languages. Although these gifted people sound hard to find, I would submit that these master black belts are available if you look carefully.

Keep the students challenged and in the growth zone. The biggest lesson is how well-received this is by our students, even though the program is extremely challenging. A large subset of students wants to be challenged and pushed much more than they are in college. Students say they never have been pushed or challenged in any class until taking the foundation class. I'd say 70 percent to 80 percent of students realize they are not ready for the real world, and they embrace this program as a way to help them mature rapidly. They like the fact that they can take risks and make mistakes as a way of being able to perform better, earn internships more quickly and land that first job.

Professional and technical communication skills. The professional and technical writing and presentation component has diminished as Ohio State migrated from quarters to semesters. Specifically, in the quarter system, the department offered an introduction to industrial and systems engineering course, one of two that stressed objectives focused on technical and professional writing and presentation skills. In the semester transition, amid pressures to add other core curriculum and enhance the technical core, the introduction course fell by the wayside.

Faculty members are working to address this gap. In the interim, the ILSS foundation course has filled that gap at least for its candidates. It provides a much needed, disciplined approach to improve student skills in this area. The biggest "failure mode" I hear from employers is still the inability of students to communicate effectively using different modes of communication.

Change leadership and management, personal and professional mastery. Most ISEs simply don't get enough exposure to personally and professionally mastering change leadership and management - concepts espoused in Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First. This area of development is needed tremendously at the undergraduate level, and this program is designed to address that gap.

Peter Senge's five disciplines are systems and statistical thinking, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and personal/ professional mastery. The first, systems and statistical thinking, essentially is industrial and systems engineering. The other four disciplines simply are not developed in our young students. Any program in an ISE department or in integrated leansigma should address this. The specifications for the master black belt or instructor you use must include these disciplines. If you can't meet this CTQC, then I don't think the program will succeed.

Innovative revenue stream. In the current environment, sustaining a program like this requires generating a significant new revenue stream. Many, maybe most, ISE capstones do not make money. The Multidisciplinary Capstone Program at Ohio State charges a substantial fee, half of which goes to support the faculty mentor (release time funding), and it is very successful. The integrated leansigma capstone eased into charging for some, not all, projects. After five years the fee was not even a factor in most sponsors' decision-making process. In short, the successful track record spoke for itself, and the value proposition was solid.

The migration and evolution of this program has been effective and efficient. Ohio State had a solid vision and strategy that has continued to evolve. The ILSS program made adjustments to speed bumps and sponsor and student reactions in real time. The formula and roadmap to pull this offis established, and I'm willing to share that with anyone interested and even help people tailor it to local requirements and conditions.

The most important CTQC for program success is ensuring that you have people who can manage relationships and build trust. Without the ability to do these two things, a program like this is not possible.

D. Scott Sink is director of the Integrated LeanSigma Certification Program in the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering at The Ohio State University. He spent 2000 to 2007 in the private sector as vice president of business process improvement roles for Exchange Solutions and MDS.